We waved farewell to our friends Randy, his family, Grandpa Bill’s big diesel Dodge truck, La Conner Marina and my friends and colleagues at JPM and we have set out by ourselves, unassisted on the Domino for the first time. We backed out of the slip without a problem and headed up the aisle to the opening of the marina. We only make a short passage today to move the boat to Cap Santa Marina so that we can join our Wagner Flotilla. We will be joining 4 other boats;
- Sam and Kevin on Safe Harbour which is Sam’s Nordic 37’. Sam is the Waggoner Flotilla leader and Kevin is the author and publisher of “Local Knowledge”.
- Ran and Jan on the Discovery a 40’ Bayliner
- Dan and Eileen on their Nordic 32’ the Fortunate
- Sandy and Dale two folks that might even be crazier than Andrew and I. Sandy and Dale are on their 26’ Sea Ray called the Yacht Shot. (I will get back to why they are so crazy!)
We love the group so far and are really looking forward to the 20 days we will passage together.
We landed safely in Cap Sante with the help of Sam, our flotilla leader and the nice lady named Helen that was next door in a sailboat and could obviously tell that I was new to the ropes! We need docking practice but not to worry we are going to get plenty of it over the next 3 months! Say a little pray for us each night and we will do the same. We have both decided that slow and cautious is the path to take as it is with so many things in life. So no jerky movements and no last minute decisions on this boat. We will aim for a safe and enjoyable summer because enough things go wrong on a boat without help from the helmsmen!
Just a quick comment on two people on the trip that I already adore and just to illustrate how spunky and committed they are to taking boat trips, Dale got his CDL “Commercial Driver’s license in California to haul his boat 26’ Sea Ray from place to place. Several weeks before the trip they trailored the boat all the way from San Diego to Belliham which is about a 20-25 hour trip. They prepared their boat and then flew home for a family event and on Sunday morning while we were all under way, Sandy and Dale woke up at home, in San Diego, Ubered to the airport to take a nonstop San Diego to Seattle, climbed aboard a shuttle bus to Bellingham where they hopped on their boat, threw off the ropes and met us in Ganges by 7:00Pm and ready for a cocktail. They looked happy, if not slightly exhausted. Their boat is easily the fastest boat in the Flotilla so they can do a fair amount of sleeping in and catching up! The Domino prefers about 18 RPM which gets us about 6-8 knots depending on current.
We ran to West Marine and purchased a couple of extra fenders to protect the boat, JUST IN CASE! A life jacket for the little kitty, which she is going to hate! (See photos included. She is the grouchy one sporting her new kitty life saver!) We also purchase gas can, hinges, snubber line, extra engine coolant and extra stern line. (Boating is expensive!) We had a briefing in Sam’s boat this evening and were handed an itinerary for tomorrow.
I am not going to lie, I am a little nervous about docking and about being underway with boats that are faster and boaters that are more experienced. I admit that I am a little worried about open water but I have been unable to talk myself out of this crazy plan and feel the call of the water and journey. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead and what is hidden in places that only the brave and adventure go. (Or perhaps the silly people that don’t really know what they are getting themselves into.) Andrew and I forge ahead , together, excited and happy. I have decided that people who show no fear simply generally do not understand what they face!
Left Dock/Weighed anchor: 3:15PM
Arrived Dock/Dropped anchor: 5:00 PM
Cruise Log: 12 Nautical Miles, 1.5 hrs, 8 Kts,
Slip for the night: Cap Sante E58, $32.80
Weather Conditions: clear, sunny, calm, favorable tides,
Wildlife Sighting:
Seagulls and Heron
Time today Helm for TEA: O hrs
Time today Helm for ACA: 2 hrs
Lessons learned:
We realize now that we got practice at docking – bow in starboard tie. We found that out quickly in Cap Sante when our slip was supposed to be on the port side which we had not practiced. We used the wrong slip for night as it was easier. No worries we will get plenty of experience in the next 3 months. We also are starting to understand that the boat prefers to walk to the starboard side in reverse. A handy thing to know when facing tides and currents in a harbor. I am getting quicker and better at the ropes. You could say that “I am learning the ropes.” OMG have we learned a lot in a couple of days.
Fun Meals while underway: None yet